This blog is a result of the heavy censoring of the media by the military dictatorship regime.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sources: jostling behind the scene over illegal PM decision to lift PER

Khaiyum: Likes to be in the driving seat

As expected, not everyone in the regime supports the decision to lift the Public Emergency Regulations. Information has come in that Frank Bainimarama's New Year's Day announcement to remove the PER this Saturday is not going down well with the illegal attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, the police commissioner Ioane Naivalurura, and chief of staff, Mohammed Aziz.

Coupfourpointfive contacts say Khaiyum supporters in the police force, ie Naivalurura, is currently meeting with "other senior military officers who have served in intelligence and now holding ministers postions, to plot against PM decison to pressure him not to lift PER because he knows that when the emergency regulations are lifted - Khaiyum will be sidelined."

Whether anything emerges as a result of the expected jostling behind the scenes remains to be seen. Obviously, Khaiyum has a lot to lose if any changes are made ... changes that could see him wielding less power or see him completely bumped from his position of authority.

As VICTOR LAL writes below in his story on the Rakiraki bottled water facility, Khaiyum and his nearest and dearest like things the way they are.

The world renowned Fiji Water company and its executives were unbearably hounded by the illegal Attorney-General Aiyaz Khaiyum who accused the company of refusing to pay higher taxes on the water it extracts in Fiji. The company claimed it was being singled out by the military-led government for a massive tax increase. Khaiyum delegated the then illegal Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, himself a $2million tax evading thief, to pursue Fiji Water.

Khaiyum’s snotty piglet and illegal Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama had been wheeled out of his hospital bed in China to make further noises against the water company.

Roth and Nur Bano at top

The treasonist dictator issued the deportation order from China against Fiji Water’s executive director David Roth saying it was based on reliable information verified and confirmed by relevant authorities. “It is unfortunate that David Roth saw it fit to engage in activities outside of his work permit conditions,” Bainimarama said in a statement at the time, without giving details. The dictator failed to declare that he himself had executed the coup outside of his duties as a servant of the SDL-FLP government.

The dictator read a statement prepared by Khaiyum that the company had paid minimal corporate taxes since it was set up. Fiji Water, the dictator claimed, had had a corporate tax holiday till two years ago (2008) and had paid just $500,000 in corporate taxes since. In turn, it received $2-2.6 million dollars in VAT (value added tax) refunds because it is an export business.

Fiji Water president John Cochran retorted that his company paid millions of dollars in duties, and income tax, as well as substantial royalties and trust fund payments to Fijian villages near the company's facility. The Khaiyum-Bainimarama government had imposed a new tax rate of 15 cents per liter on companies extracting more than 3.5 million liters (920,000 gallons) of water a month – up from the current one-third of one percent rate. Fiji Water was the only company extracting that much water.

What lay behind the imposition of the new water tax and the persecution of Fiji Water executives in late 2010? Well, it was a well-thought out and corrupt strategy of the Khaiyum clan who had long hoped to take control of the extraction and bottling of water near Rakiraki. Khaiyum’s aunty Nur Bano Ali became the illegal pay mistress to the regime after the 2006 coup while her husband Zarin Ali worked behind the scenes to fulfil his water company’s dream to not only compete but takeover from Fiji Water the rights to bottle Fiji’s world famous water. And the company to break Fiji Water’s monopoly was to be Magic Mountain Springs (Fiji) Ltd. We will look at its directors later on in the narrative.

Magic Mountain Springs Seeking Investors
Meanwhile, before the 2006 treasonous coup, Pacific Investment Programme had put out an advertisement seeking potential investors: “A Fiji company is looking for an investor to develop one of the world’s largest spring water source bases, located in Matalevu Ra on Fiji’s largest Island Viti Levu. The project comprises the extraction and bottling of water for sale to the international market, targeting the United States and Asian markets, where spring water from Fiji has already built a strong reputation. The robust water flow from Magic Mountain Springs (flowing at 5,000 litres/minute) is capable of supporting a water bottling plant with a production capacity of over 2.6 billion bottles a year. The water emanates from rainfall on the northern environs of the Ra region where the water accumulates through underground formations, 15 Kilometres from a Vatukoula volcanic crater filled with fragmented basalt rock. This creates a perfect natural filter. The volcanic sediments filter the water in the same way as a sand filter filters water in a water treatment plant. The actual spring has been left in its natural state. The land on which it is based is protected from use by its remote location as well as legal agreements between the government and the land owners.”

The investors were told of native lease arrangement and other perks: “It is located on approximately 38.89 hectares, which the company has acquired and has a title on a 99-year leasehold arrangement. To ensure the protection of the invaluable spring source the company has negotiated the acquisition of an additional 21.6 hectares of land adjacent to the water source. To capitalise on the business potential of the spring, various types of concessions and investment incentives in the form of tax and duty have been secured from the Government of Fiji. These include: exemption from corporate tax profits for a period of 13 years;

exemption from duty on the importation of plant and raw materials; exemption from withholding tax on interest, dividends and royalty payment; waiver on restrictions on repatriation of capital and profits; and an accelerated depreciation allowance claim. The level of investment required from a potential partner to bring the project into operation is US$17 million over a ten-year period. This investment would be in the form of a mix of debt and equity and would be allocated to: building equipment and installations; preliminary and establishment working capital and marketing; contingency and consultancy; and funding costs.”

It seems there were no takers. However, the 2006 treasonous coup and Aiyaz Khaiyum’s appointment as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Anti-Corruption, Public Enterprises, Communications, Civil Aviation, Tourism, Industry and Trade gave the family clan a second chance to make a go for the control of Fiji’s bottled water.

In November 2011 the people of Fiji were told that an American company was expected to open a bottled water facility in Rakiraki soon. According to the illegal Bainimarama-Khaiyum regime, Fiji 480 Holdings Limited along with Magic Mountain has been granted a lease to set up the facility at Vunitogoloa - just kilometres away from the Fiji Water bottling plant.

Magic Mountain, we were told, is a locally owned company with various businesses having invested into the venture. The source of water is at Nananu village. It is anticipated that the new facility will be bigger than the Fiji Water plant and will provide competition. The new plant - to be established within the next 12 months - is expected to provide employment to surrounding villages. So the reports ran in Fiji.

Nur Bano...your time will come when you will be dragged through the streets of Suva naked. That would really be an ugly sight but justice will be served the same way you are abusing the rights of the people of Fiji through your greed!

Nur Bano and Vuaka dragged through the streets of Suva naked?...that ugly scene will surely make a mongoose talk. And as for the Shamimi sisters, I wonder how their mother felt when she gave birth to them, ewwwwww.

Guys, what are we doing...just talking too much while these Taliban Muslims and Al Qaeda terrorists take over what are ours with the endorsement of JVB because he is too foolish to realize anything...what a fool!

JVB has already sold his soul, if he has any, to the devil worshipping Taliban Muslims...

Bottled water? It's not a easy business....let them sink the money down the spring as it will take solid contracts, distributors and millions to get into the well established Fiji Water market you fools...

So just who is licking whose balls ?Frank is licking Aiyaz' balls, Aiyaz is licking the Pol. Comm.'s ball, the Pol. Comm. is licking Aziz' balls and Aziz is licking Frank's balls!Or have I got it wrong ?

Fiji Water has put millions into Fiji. Who is ripping off who? This is just the 'same o' Fiji jealousy factor. Fiji Water is a household name in the States - the PR value is enormous. Whoever you are wake up to the business world and not be a dictator/union stooge mouthing off rubbish.

"Fiji Water has ripped this country off from the time it set up here. That is the truth." got that right, Fiji Water was giving villagers in Ra only hundreds of dollars in royalties while the company pocketed millions...

Fiji Waters free ride coming to an end was one of the better things done by Frank. Let's not cloud this issue with the less savoury acts of this regimes such is pension cuts, arbitary detentions, PER, press censorship and Aunty Nurs burgeoning heft/paydays. FACT Fiji Water took home more in VAT refunds than they ever paid tax.

What a load of shit by Victor Lal, the cyber employee of Fiji Water. We all now that Chaudhry was removed when the Fiji Water tax was repealed after pressure from the Military Council who were obviously bribed by David Roth. Chaudhry was removed in August 2008 and the tax was imposed in the November 2009 budget not November 2008. The obvious (short lived) beneficiary of Chaudhrys sacking was Fiji Water.In so far as the granting of concessions to new bottlers with local equity, why not? Or is it only white owned companies that qualify for this entitlement. This and favourable treatment for foreign tourism ventures is coming to an end and that is why these operators are turning to the Victor Lals of this world to fly their flags. Turning over hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from the resources owned by the people of Ra while giving a lease payment of 92 thousand a year and a pittance in the form of a school and a church. C'mon people, wake up!!

Naivalurua and Aiyaz are hardly mates. In fact, they are both probably at the top of each other's hit list.

Coup Fourpointfive is a year behind events, but at least it eventually closes in on the truth, while the Fiji Times ignores it and the Fiji Sun distorts it.

Aiyaz et al have long had their sights set on FIJI Water, not so much to help Fiji as for personal aggrandisement. Their plan now is to beggar FW with a confiscatory tax while tapping into the same aquifer, bottling it as a different brand, and then selling it in China and elsewhere. What they don't understand is that the demand for bottled water is already dropping, and that without FW's Coca-Cola distribution channels and the marketing genius of Linda Resnick, all they're doing is killing the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg.

David Roth's expulsion was only marginally related to his FW role. The real issue was the regime's perception that he was a go-between for Roko Ului and the Americans.

The whole issue hit while Bainimarama was abroad and Ratu Epeli Ganilau was acting PM. When Epeli defended Roth, Bainimarama became fearful, because he suddenly realized the Maras were in a position to depose him. But the Maras had neither sufficiently prepared nor had the stones to take the necessary action, even though it was clear Bainimarama would move against them as soon as he returned.

In fact, Bainimarama did immediately relieve Ganilau and unsuccessfully tried to use Aiyaz to maneuver Nailatikau into resigning. He also resolved on taking the presidency himself, which is what he will seek to achieve during the coming constitutional process, with the help of Aiyaz. If he's feeling secure enough, he will name Aiyaz to replace Gates as Chief Justice. Otherwise, he will sacrifice Aiyaz as a scapegoat.

Bainimarama also sought to expel the American ambassador, thinking he was part of the conspiracy with Roth and Roko Ului. Using the pretext of a phony visa issue, he claimed he'd called in Ambassador McGann and read him the riot act. He then planned to declare him persona non grata. What he didn't know was that McGann wasn't even in the country.

When the Americans very tactfully called him on it but didn't take the easy step of humiliating him publically, Bainimarama finally understood that the Americans were not part of the conspiracy. The Americans didn't expose Bainimarama for the liar he is. They obviously preferred just to back Bainimarama down and to try to work with his government.

Now the Yanks sit atop Fiji's sugar, aviation, and gaming industries, suggesting that, as much as Bainimarama is selling out to the Chinese and Russians with his so-called 'Look North' policy, the Americans have also been singularly effective in defending their own interests.

Victor Lal, how much have Fiji Water paid you so far? Can Firca/RBF go through Fiji Waters books to determine and publicise this. The people of Fiji must know about these self serving "scoop" journalists who will compromise the national interest and fill their pockets.

Fiji Water is not distributed by Coca-Cola in any country except Fiji which is only 7% of Fiji Waters business. The bottled water rip off globally is taking a hmmering for what it is. Overpriced water which in quality falls BELOW municipal water in developed countries and a huge and completely unnecessary carbon footprint. Only fair to make them pay.

Fiji water has done great marketing and helped in some ways build Fiji's image to the world over. But it should not be allowed to rip Fiji's natural resource forever. Ok what they needed to do was offer percentage of sales turnover made in US or Main holding company back for the FIJI brand. This was not the case with the greedy Americans. They thought Fijian are dam ass and they can push them over.

Anon,Mota Bitu@2.45PM...It's unfortunate that you seems todislike Nur Bano & Shamimi sistersfor their Business prowes&fame?I'msure most men would absolutely be delighted to..SMELL THEIR COFFEE24/7? and you can count me in that group? I'm a sucker for smart womenand i like it when they're more smarter than me!.Hey,if the face is hard to look at, turn-out the light and do it for FIJI????These girl are over 50 years old, what doyou expect? They don't looks that bad to me? Why don't you put up your picture in here for use to seeand comments-on?

"Like giving Bainimarama some home brew and the keys to your Nissan Pathfinder."

"Like hiring Graham Davis to be your lecturer in media ethics."

“Like asking Chaudhry to guard 1.5 million dollars."

“Like asking Felix Anthony to tell another story apart from being bashed up.”

To add yours to this list,email it to us pacificinthemedia@gmail.com

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The unfairness of it all

Fiji TV Saga: Proof of Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum's involvement

Proof of Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum's involvement in the sacking of two Fiji TV executives continues to be revealed. Here is a text he sent to Nouzab Fareed, the executive director of Fiji TV, who then forwarded it to Tanya Waqanika.

Unwise Quotes

January 22, 2015

Dr Mahendra Reddy speaking on the removal of the scaling of marks system "Of the last 40 years a major problem has arisen ...if you look at the raw scores mean marks have been declined. "

Nice English Education Minister. Pong!

January 14, 2015

Frank Bainimarama while opening a girl's domitory in Taveuni "Today there is no excuse for our children not to reach the tertiary level, the changes to our education system is the biggest achievement for this government in the history of Fiji."

Yet just days ago, it was revealed that the FSLC pass rates for 2015 has dropped to 66.4% compared to 75% in 2013. In fact the pass rates has dropped dramatically since the 'historic' changes to the education system. Pong!

Veena Batnaghar speaking on the 'free' medication scheme "Apparently there is a ...committee looking after this part of work."

Apparently? Do you know for sure or not Assistant Minister for Health. Pong!

What Bainimarama and Khaiyum have done:

1. Removed the GCC

2. Removed the Bose Levu Vakaturaga

3. Removed the history of Ratu Sukuna

5. Made a Constitution that was not put to Referendum for the people to add, delete or give an opinion

8. Allowed Muslims to take up all strategic positions in Fiji

9. The blatant misuse of public funds

10. The Matua Taxi advertisement of Fiji First Party etc.

11. The delegation to the UN, we see no Indigenous Fijian significantly involved

12.The continued psychological tormentation by Bainimarama on the citizens of Fiji: "You did not vote for me, I will not look after you" syndrome